The Story of the Buddha by John Tarrant

For readers of mythology, an original and introspective journey through the life of the Buddha accompanied by 26 beautiful color illustrations and 8 meditations.

From longtime Zen teacher and poet John Tarrant comes an original retelling of the foundational myth of Buddhism—the life of the Buddha. Told and retold for centuries, this story holds a special place in the human legacy because it is, ultimately, an investigation of the nature of mind and consciousness.

Tarrant leans into his memories of the Egyptian and Greek myths he encountered as a child. “If we pour ourselves into the story of the Buddha,” he writes, “we enter the journey from an unusual place as far as myths go; we begin where the Odyssey ends.”

The Buddha already had everything—a palace, family, food, wealth—yet he was suffocating with discontent. He needed to embark on a journey involving pain, searching, magic, and personal discovery. This led to his awakening and the teachings that form the basis of Buddhism.

With twenty-six gorgeous historical illustrations and eight meditations drawn from the Zen tradition, the Buddha’s story becomes your own story, opening an unexpected path to awakening. If you listen to the images that arise in its telling, you can find where you are in life and where you are headed.

“The book is filled with exquisite artwork from a variety of traditions. It reads like the wisdom of a longtime practitioner summing up all he has learned. . . . You may think you’ve read the story of the Buddha’s life and know how it informs your practice. You may think you know what koan practice is and how it fits into the history of Buddhism. You nevertheless need to read this book. It shows you the story in a whole new way. It’s a stunner.”

—David Guy, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

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“John Tarrant has a rare gift for lyricism and for opening out the depths that lie between certainties. In his hands, the story of the Buddha’s life becomes a suggestive poem and a spacious parable, wisdom tucked inside every clause. I sometimes think you could spend a lifetime with each paragraph here.”

—Pico Iyer, author of The Half Known Life

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“Can I make clear how great this book is? It is splendid, entrancing, breathtakingly beautiful, and, to use an overused but extremely appropriate word, enlightening. Reading it, I was in awe. ‘We call our pain our self,’ Tarrant quotes the Buddha. ‘We have things the wrong way round.’ In this personal, lyrical, and most compelling telling of the Buddha’s story, John Tarrant shows us how we can make his story our own.”

—Mark Epstein, MD, author of The Zen of Therapy

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“Tarrant recounts the Buddha’s life in his colorful new book. In this beautiful tome, which includes a rich collection of traditional Chinese and Japanese illustrations, the timeless tale is presented like a poetic meditation.”

—Lion’s Roar

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“Of great value for contemplation for those already well-versed in this story or even for those non-Buddhist seekers interested in a multilayered mythical tale that holds up a mirror for self-reflection.”

—Buddhistdoor Global

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“A beautiful gift book for discovering the life and teachings of the Buddha.”

—Spirituality & Practice

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“The (book) is, as Epstein’s endorsement says, splendid, entrancing, enlightening even. I love Tarrant’s other two books, and now this one. His writing is sublime, in my view.”

—Letter to Shambhala Publications